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It’s a delicate balance

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, creative well-being, curious and receptive, discernment, Every day Catholic, lifelong learning, mindfulness, nurturing growth, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, savor the days, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journey, visionary faithLeave a comment

Turning 70 can definitely have an impact on your perspective in life.

It has given me the opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the friendships I have and the ability to spend more time with and appreciating them. I have, for the most part, everything I need and have decided I want to simplify in many areas of life. I can also relax the longing to figure out “what I want to do with my life”.

It makes each day seem even more precious.

I have been impacted, as so many of you have, by the images from Nepal. People who were sitting on a bus at the border crossing, or walking in the streets of their village, swept away by the flash flooding. Fortunately, there are stories of survival but for so many the loss is inconceivable. Friday night we also learned, in our Illinois Valley area, of the tragic loss of a young boy in a car accident, with the mother and brother surviving. Again, lives changed in an instant.

Regardless of our age or situation, each day is a gift.

This morning I read an article by a needlework artist who shared some thoughts after attending a Vince Gill concert. She’s a big fan so is aware of the goals he has, such as 50 years into his career, taking on a project to create 12 extended play releases. One might ask Gill, why not relax and begin to take it easy? She wrote that when Gill was questioned about it, he replied that “he doesn’t have as many years left to be creative — so it matters to him more than ever.  And then he said he’s having the time of his life, just having a ball with it.” She used his story as an analogy, encouraging us to “learn a new stitch” or “start a new canvas” or “become the artist you’ve always wanted to be”.

I have always had the tendency to put off things – I can’t do this until … one more class, one more book, one more technique, etc “before I am ready”. My friend Kate taught a class this week, The One More Thing Trap, that encouraged us to look at all the “one more things” we tell ourselves that have to happen before we can be the person we want to be. When we do that we lose the ability to feel present and connected to where we are right now. Note: you can still access the replay to this free class by registering for Kate’s class here.

My cross stitch, and other art projects, have become a beautiful metaphor for living life. They have become a living reflection of my journey. Taking life more slowly and deliberately. Living and acting with intention. Trying bold new projects. Simply having fun. Each day is like a project, taking it one stitch at a time.

Regardless of your age, 30 or 80, my wish is that this week you enjoy the moments as they come along. Be present. Be adventuresome. Savor them.

Wishing you abundant joy, Deena

Today’s image: I noticed a dragonfly on my “purple showers” the other day. He was simply sitting on to the edge of the leaf. Moving with the wind as it swayed. I wondered if he was stuck. After several minutes, he flew away. He reminded me to land lightly, settle softly, and enjoy the moment.

Playing your hand

On By dpavinatoIn A life worth living, a school of God's service, a season of hope, Answering the great question, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, contemplation, curious and receptive, Daily Prayer, discernment, Every day Catholic, Jubilee Year of Hope, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, Our unique call, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual freedom, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, surrender, Trust the journey, waiting and reflectingLeave a comment

I love YouTube videos! I can find something to satisfy every mood – videos to learn a crafting technique, Paul Fey visiting and playing organs in various churches and countries around the world, news reports (especially when I stopped streaming TV and wanted to catch up on events) and listening to and reflecting on various spiritual talks and discussions.

Last night, Saturday evening, was one of those nights when I wanted to listen to something inspirational. I had a strong desire to further reflect on my week and some of the things that came up in prayer and journaling, trying to make sense of what action might be next for me. A video by Fr. Gregory Pine, a very popular Dominican priest and conference speaker, popped up in my YouTube feed so I followed the serendipity of the moment and watched his talk at SEEK25. I’ve watched many of his talks in the past so I knew it would be worth the time to listen.

During the conference talk, Fr. Gregory, said that in life we need to play the hand we have been dealt. He said that the journey is to honestly reflect on the cards we have. We can look at others and say yes, there are others who are more talented or more gifted, but how are we going to play our hand? The goal is to “play the game beautifully even if you don’t have the best cards.” As we look at our lives we might not love what we find or where we are, but that’s ok because it is a starting point, the “Lord made you good, and he loves you, and he loves your destiny more than you do, and he is excited about the prospect of conducting you hence, strongly and sweetly.”

If you have been reading this blog over the past (almost) three years, you know well that I am always looking for ways to grow spiritually and improve my life. It has become more clear in the past year that I also want to discern the ways that I can help others do that. The past week or so has been a time of intense questioning of that desire and how that might come to life. I have to be honest and admit that in assessing thoughts about the “how” I have gotten dragged down and was melancholy about when it was going to become clear to me.

A couple of things happened this week that reminded me, as Fr. Gregory did, to slow down and trust the process and divine timing. Wednesday during my weekly two hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, during our parish Adoration time, I read a reflection by Christina Leano (on the staff of the Laudato Si Movement) in my Give Us This Day prayer guide that invited me to lean into curiosity and just show up in prayer, to simply ask “God, how do you want me to be with you right now?” and “rest knowing that the answer is secondary”. It was powerful and while letting go of the answer I might have been looking for, I was gifted with an insightful time of conversation with Christ. I was loved and beheld as simply who I am.

The next day I happened upon a seminar that might be helpful to me as I seek to use my gifts to help others. Then later in the week I listened to podcast that introduced me to some new concepts that are used in spiritual counseling. I was so excited about learning new ways that are being used to combine faith and spirituality in the realm of counseling, psychology, and brain science. I look forward to reading more about it, and my guess is, that in some way, it’s also a preparation and foundation for the healing work that will be experienced during my week long retreat the first week of August.

So Saturday evening, after listening to Fr. Gregory, I smiled in awe and gratitude in the ways that God might be aligning things in my path to pay attention to. I am also reminded today, in Luke’s Gospel for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in the familiar story of Martha and Mary, that it is important to take the time to listen in prayer. Being busy, always doing, distracts from seeing those hints from God as they show up. It’s essential to be still and to be watchful for the guidance as it appears. But before all of that happens, it’s also important to know what it is I am seeking, to ask for the grace to be guided.

What grace do you seek this week? How might you just “show up” and sit in curiosity, watchful for the signs of God’s grace as they appear? Can you find time in your day to just sit and be held in the loving gaze and presence of God? You don’t need an agenda, or things to discuss, just show up and simply BE.

Wishing you abundant peace and hope, Deena

Image: Flowers and a bench on my patio